Simone and Christo at Omroep Brabant

LEGO is becoming increasingly popular. In the first half of this year, three percent more construction kits were sold than the previous half year. This is because more and more adults have started building with the blocks. Lego fan Christo (64) from Best has an attic full of LEGO buildings and understands the popularity: “It calms me down. It's a toy hobby.”

And thanks to the bad summer, turnover will continue to increase in the second half of this year, says Simone van Nuland from the LEGO store in Den Bosch. “It is becoming increasingly popular with adults as LEGO releases special lines, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Taj Mahal in India.”

A woman comes to Simone's LEGO store to buy a set. “It's for myself, not for my daughter,” she laughs. “The shame is gone,” Simone notes. “We have been here for twenty years now. In the beginning, people gave the excuse that they were coming to get it for their nephew, but now they dare to say that it is for themselves.”

Christo is also critical: “It is far too expensive. It can be done much cheaper, but yes that is a marketing strategy of LEGO.” For example, a set for adults easily costs between two hundred and five hundred euros. Because it is on the expensive side, Christo occasionally buys 'fake LEGO'. “There are brands where the quality and colors are exactly the same.”

Simone disagrees with Christo. “It's not expensive, it's sustainable,” she defends. “Thirty years later, children still play with the same LEGO bricks. They just pass from father to son.”

How many more LEGO sets can Christo have? “Minus two,” he says with a smile. “It's full, but I don't stop. Sometimes I sell a set. It is also an investment. I sell sets for double or sometimes more.”

The store in Den Bosch contains a 'mega investment'. “There is a blue house here. It cost a hundred euros about fifteen years ago, now you can sell it for 3,500 euros.”